The work list on the '69.

[New2me69]

I know no one gives a crap about a '69 beetle but I sure do. Read on if you feel like it. Cheers!

I’m way late to start this thread so it’s like a novel. Sorry about that. Just want to start documenting all the work on my ’69 beetle now going forward I guess. Here’s all the work done to the car so far. The previous owner started some and I've continued on with it. Also a small back story on the car.

It's a very solid California original with zero rust. Between the previous owner and myself, this car has had a lot of work done and there is far more I’m going to do to it.

Typically I focus on the task at hand, get it done and drive so I don’t bother with posts and/or pics on the work I’m doing. We’ll see. I’ll try and change my ways. You never know, maybe I’ll be able to help someone.

I imported this car from the U.S. into Canada and that in itself may have been a helpful thread to document as laws have changed yet again but...... It took quite a bit of work on my part to get the car road legal over here. Previous owner was super cool. Very nice guy who was extremely patient with me and the border legalities.

Being an ex-truck driver, he understood some of the issues with our governments and exporting/importing etc.

Back when the deal was done, although I had paid for the car and the transaction was complete between he and I, he was very nice in letting me leave the car in his driveway while I sorted out the border paperwork. Too nice of him. There is an impound lot where you can leave the vehicle (for days) while the documentation gets sorted but I really didn’t feel comfortable with that........either did he. Such a great guy. Cheers to him for sure. I really appreciated his patience.

Trailered it home.

I think he was glad that it was going to someone who was so pumped about the car and had plans for continuing the work he had started. I think he was moving on to a rod project. He and his brother had fixed the bug up to a point where they were able to do a big road trip in it - which they did and then it was a “been there done that” sort of thing.

He was moving on and it proved to be good timing for me!

The bug had been started and was in extremely solid form compared to the rotted out hulks I’d been looking at leading up to this one. I’d love to say I got it for a song but I didn’t. I got what I would call a fair deal. He was asking a reasonable price for it considering the condition and I haggled a little. I got him down a smidge. I was happy with that. I didn’t want to lose it as it was such a solid car for me to start working with. I didn’t push overly hard. I got a fair deal. It’s so solid. In the end, we were both happy.

I’d found my project!!

The following is a list of the stuff that’s been done to this sunny day, daily driver in no particular oder. I'm probably forgetting some stuff. It’s been fun to work on! So much more to do.

full tear down and paint (Mercedes metallic brown (root-beer))
New fender beading all around
New window seals (front/rear/side)
90% new chrome/trim
New script on rear lid
New roof rack
Bumpers removed replaced with custom T’s
New rear lights
New front indicators
Driving light addition.
Rear window tint
2” narrowed adjustable beam
2.5” drop spindles
New ball joints
New Tie rods
New dampers
Rebuilt VW steering box that I found in a scrap yard (also purchased a new aftermarket one and is sitting on shelf just in case)
New steering coupler
Disc brake conversion (front)

All new rear brakes (shoes/spring kits/fasteners/wheel cylinders)
New brake cable
New brake lines
New clutch cables
New throttle cable
New pedals
New carpet inside
New trunk liner
New wire cover
New wheel bearings
New driver/passenger side mirrors
New shocks up front
New Retrosound radio with ipod connection (currently hooked up to some not-so-great-speakers but that work comes later)
New running boards
New door/trunk/deck lid seals
New Empi Riviera 15x5.5 rims front/back
New 195-65 r15’s on rear
New 195-55 r15’s on front
New trunk release cable/lock for trunk
New handbrake cable
Scat air filter
Scat indexed pulleys
New spark plug wires (Timing/vavles/plugs complete obviously)
New door panels
New turn signal assembly
Rewired column

New FUNCTIONING horn!! Haha
New horn button
New fuse box/cover
New rear bushings (while apart when lowered 1 outer spline)
New fuel lines
New fuel vent lines/T’s
New fill lines
New sender unit gasket
New door handle finger guards
New fuel cap
New rubber stops for gas door
New Engine lid rubber stop
New tank to body seal
New seat release knob and trim
New engine bay seals
I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff but....whatever.

So much more to do.

I’m going to try my hand a upholstery very shortly as the rear seat is 100% original and in pretty rough shape. I’ve got the covers in the garage, just studying up and making sure I have everything I need.

Dash pad needs replacing at some point as well. It’s original and cracked up in several spots

The original non-vented deck lid is currently at the body shop.

They scanned the car and found the paint code for match (I didn’t have it as the previous owner had the car painted - he didn’t have code). The car has what I’m thinking is it’s original 1500 engine (birth certificate pending) so I’m not going to muscle it up at all. I want to keep that nice and stock so the non-vented lid (which I prefer anyway) will be re-attached very soon. I’m gonna really dig that change.

I really want to go over the engine and bay. It looks like shit. It’s running really well but it’s leaking and a bit noisy. I am also getting rid of all traces of heat to the car so a new shroud, heat channel removal, j-tube install (tin to compensate for all changes), wire tube, new tar board will really clean the whole area up. I was originally going to tear the engine out for a full rebuild but I’m hoping I can push it a bit and see if I can get one more summer out of it. For this winter, if I can just pull it out and clean it all up a bit, I’d be happy enough with that. Rebuild winter 2017/18 would be better.
Also in short order I’d like to get the air ride set up on the front of the car. I’ve got that all planned but for now, I’m choosing my battles. I can live with my static stance.

Really digging this car a lot. My kids love it too. I could never take them on my vintage motorcycles so this is WAY more fun. It’s used daily when sunny......for everything from grocery shopping to coffee to picking them up from school. Love it.

Thanks for reading if you did.

Steve.
More to come.

[Old n' slow]

Some of us love 1969 Beetles and yours looks great. Thanks for sharing.
_________________
Currently own : 1969 Beetle w/ 1600cc, Single Port, Solex 30 PICT 2, Dist. 113 905 205 T, stock exhaust.
All my daily drivers gone but not forgotten;

1964(sunroof)1967 & (2)1968 Beetles , 1968 Squareback , 1963 (23 window )Deluxe Sunroof Bus , 1969 Westphalia camper, 1974 Dasher , 1985 Vanagon , (2) 1981 Rabbit Diesels & a 1991 Jetta Diesel .

[joey1320]

Beautiful car and nice color. Enjoy!!!
More pics
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**1971 Super Project
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[wcfvw69]

I love my 69 bug too!

Nice bug OP. Obviously someone has installed a mid-70's engine lid on it. If it's still a single port engine, a solid engine lid will be fine, especially in Canada where it's cooler. If you go to a bigger dual port, doghouse fan shroud, you'd be better off running that vented lid. Just an fyi.
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Decades of VW and VW parts restoration experience.
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[New2me69]

[irun5k]

Nice car, and my fav model year but I'm partial

The non-vented deck lid is part of the visual character of the 69, here in FL I leave a tennis ball in year round, it really makes a difference and is barely noticeable.

(Another distinctive feature of the '69 is that it had the last of the two tone wheels but I've noticed very few folks running stock rims.)

[neil68]

Very nice 69 Beetle! One of my favourite years, with the design improvements and clean lines. Well done
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Neil.

Der Kleiner Rennwagens
68 Beetle 2332 cc, 204 WHP
12.5 seconds @ 107 mph
Dynojet Test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9B_H3eklAo

[Multi69s]

Nice ride, I guess you could say that I am partial to 69s
_________________
69 road Bug 2110
73 Squareback - 2L, T4, Automatic W/ AC
Gone, but many fond memories 69 Baja Bug 2010 - 5 Rib Bus Transaxle
Gone but not forgotten 72 Baja Bug 2010
My builds
T4 into Squareback http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=458944&highlight=
Auto Trans Rebuild http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=516066&highlight=
AC in Squareback https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=

[jhicken]

Another thumbs up for your '69... but I'm biased!

-jeffrey

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Der Kleiner Kampfwagens

[New2me69]

[New2me69]

[Otan]

Nice ride, love the color.

Some of us love 68 69

[New2me69]

[Otan]

Most people likes the look of the old style fenders because that's what everybody likes, not their own taste.

We are a select group still in 60's and with some love for the new Era.

Otan

[Maxdog2]

Love it! Very nice ride....

[SBD]

That color looks really good on some cars. Yours is one of them!
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"Just $99 down and $64 a month for 36 months buys you a brand new Volkswagen Beetle!"

[New2me69]

Small victory.

When I got the car, there was no jack in place. I assumed it was missing and it was added to my list of things to purchase. I very nearly purchased a restored one on line but held off for other things.

One day I decided to go through the parts boxes that came with the car when I purchased it (thought I'd already gone through them well but...) to purge out and toss all the old trashed up parts I no longer needed and clean the garage up a bit.

At the very bottom of one of those boxes BOOM!!

I let out a full on F-bomb loud enough that my neighbours probably figured I'd hurt myself or something but what a treasure to find!

This week I had a bit of time to kill so picked away at tearing it down, cleaning it up a bit and painting it. It turned out good enough for my daily summer driver. Never show car good but, as always, presentable at least.

The jack works perfectly after the time spent on it I'm pretty stoked.

For those who read the original post, turns out I needed to be a little more forceful as the clamp was a little out of shape. The jack slipped right in nice and snug.

Sweet!

[Tim Donahoe]

Looks like any number of bug jacks I owned. They look cool, but they jack for jack-shit. I've got the wind-up Bilstein jack for my '74' Super Beetle, and I won't use it. Instead, I have a scissor jack in the trunk. I enjoy vintage tools, of course, but sometimes I like to use the best tool I can get. For instance, I wouldn't dream of changing my spark plugs with the tool that came in the original tool kit.

Concerning the year of your car--which looks great, by the way--I think it's funny that you have had people say "Oh" when they discover what year it is. My bug is five years younger, and I've never actually seen/heard that kind of immature shit; not when stopping off for gas (and people come up to talk about the bug), or any other time I'm out in public, like show & shines, or Bugorama. I've even had folks honk at me, gesture for me to roll down a window, then tell me how beautiful my ride is. I keep a canned reply ("Kiss my ass, stupid!") in the back of my mind, but I've never had occasion to use it thus far.

Actually, the only time I ever heard of an insult concerning any acvw I owned was when I had a single cab. A woman at my wife's work told my wife that "Volkswagen people wouldn't think so much of 'that' truck". That was in 1994. The bed of the single-cab had some surface rust, you see; so apparently, my truck was more like a the red-headed step child ... In some "Volkswagen" circles.

How times and attitudes change. That lowly single-cab would be worth twenty grand (U.S. Dollars). I wonder how that happened?

Anyway, as you can see, I don't place much store in the opinions of idiots. It's a failing that I have long nourished, in spite of my wife's liberal teachings.

By the way, a 1969 was/is one of my favorite years for acvw's. Constant Velocity joints are the bomb.

Tim
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Richard O'Brien

[New2me69]

[Mikedrevguy]

FWIW- I thought a 1969 would be my next project car, until the 71vert fell from the sky into our driveway.
Enjoy the car. Looks great.
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74 1303 (RevBug): plan for German Look
76 914 with 2260
79 VW Iltis
69 Bwajaja
"The wise speak because they have something to say; while the foolish speak because they have to say something." Plato

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